Senior Paralegal - Trusts and Estates

Build My Great Team•San Francisco, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Spears & Shelf, LLP, a woman-owned trust and estate firm in San Francisco, is hiring a senior paralegal for a new, long-term leadership position. The role leads the client experience from first call through final deliverable, supervises staff and outside service providers, and keeps estate planning, trust administration, and probate matters on schedule. The paralegal keeps legal projects moving so attorneys can focus on legal work and answers routine client questions that do not require an attorney. The firm describes the position as having real ownership, partner support, predictable hours, and a focus on work-life balance. The successful candidate will oversee client intake and matter setup, drafting workflows and quality checks, signing and trust-funding coordination, administration schedules, team tracking meetings, and relationships with external service providers. The role also maintains firm forms, checklists, and project-tracking systems, and may adjust staff allocation as caseloads grow. This is an in-office, full-time position in San Francisco, California. The firm offers flexible scheduling, such as 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and states that overtime, nights, and weekends are not expected. Salary is $115,000 to $135,000, commensurate with experience, with a discretionary year-end bonus and benefits. Applicants should submit a resume and a short cover letter describing a system or process they built or improved. Qualified candidates will be invited to a recorded video interview.

Requirements

At least 5 years of law firm paralegal experience, including substantial work in estates and trusts.
Deep working knowledge of estate-planning documents, including revocable trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and health care directives.
Deep working knowledge of the trust-administration process.
Takes ownership of projects, enjoys building systems, and follows through without constant direction.
Seeks a long-term role with a stable, growing firm.
Communicates with warmth and clarity, particularly with clients facing a death or incapacity in the family.
Leads staff with calm, collaborative confidence.
Is detail-oriented and highly accurate, and holds others accountable for deadlines and quality of work.

Nice To Haves

Probate experience.
Experience supervising staff, managing vendors, or running a practice workflow.

Responsibilities

Maintain an overview of all client matters.
Oversee intake and new-client setup.
Keep clients informed about matter status and next steps.
Handle routine client questions and involve attorneys as needed.
Initiate and manage the estate-planning drafting process, track progress, and answer drafter questions.
Review drafts for completeness before they are sent to an attorney.
Coordinate deeds, signings, notarizations, binders, and trust-funding follow-up.
Supervise trust-administration paralegals to keep deliverables on schedule.
Run internal tracking meetings to manage project progress.
Coordinate appraisals, annual letters, and other third-party needs.
Flag staffing needs and adjust allocation as caseloads grow.
Understand the processes and substance of every role on the team.
Maintain firm forms, checklists, and project-tracking systems.
Manage outside paralegals, notary, deed, and accounting service providers.

Benefits

Salary of $115,000 to $135,000, commensurate with experience.
Discretionary year-end bonus.
Medical insurance with a firm premium contribution.
50% of dental insurance paid; vision coverage available.
401(k)/profit-sharing plan with a 100% match on contributions up to 4% of salary.
Paid time off and 40 hours of paid sick time each year.
13 paid holidays and a paid office closure between Christmas and New Year's.
Firm-paid notary and paralegal certification fees.
Flexible scheduling.
Predictable hours; no overtime, nights, or weekends expected.
Opportunities for professional growth as the firm expands.